Hesekiel 33

1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

2 “Onipa ba, kasa kyerɛ wo ɔman mma na ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ: ‘Sɛ metwe mʼakofena wɔ asase bi so, na sɛ asase no so nnipa yi wɔn mmarima no mu baako sɛ ɔnyɛ ɔwɛmfoɔ mma wɔn,

'Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them: When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman;

3 na ɔhunu sɛ akofena reba abɛtia asase no a, ɔhyɛne totorobɛnto de bɔ nnipa no kɔkɔ.

if, when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the horn, and warn the people;

4 Na sɛ obi te totorobɛnto no nnyegyeeɛ na wanna ne ho so, na sɛ akofena no bɛkum no a, ne mogya bɛbɔ ɔno ankasa tiri so.

then whosoever heareth the sound of the horn, and taketh not warning, if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head;

5 Esiane sɛ ɔtee totorobɛnto no nnyegyeeɛ na wantie kɔkɔbɔ no enti, ne mogya bɛbɔ nʼankasa tiri so. Sɛ ɔtiee kɔkɔbɔ no a, anka ɔnyaa ne tiri didii mu.

he heard the sound of the horn, and took not warning, his blood shall be upon him; whereas if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul.

6 Nanso sɛ ɔwɛmfoɔ no hunu sɛ akofena no reba na wanhyɛne totorobɛnto no ammɔ nnipa no kɔkɔ, na sɛ akofena no ba bɛkum wɔn mu baako a, wɔbɛfa saa onipa no akɔ wɔ ne bɔne enti, nanso mɛma ɔwɛmfoɔ no abu owufoɔ no mogya ho akonta.’

But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the horn, and the people be not warned, and the sword do come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

7 “Onipa ba, mayɛ wo ɔwɛmfoɔ ama Israel efie, ɛno enti tie mʼanum nsɛm na fa kɔkɔbɔ a ɛfiri me nkyɛn ma wɔn.

So thou, son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore, when thou shalt hear the word at My mouth, warn them from Me.

8 Sɛ meka kyerɛ omumuyɛfoɔ sɛ, ‘Ao omumuyɛfoɔ owuo na wobɛwuo,’ na sɛ wʼankasa ankyerɛ no amma wamfiri nʼakwan so a, saa omumuyɛfoɔ no bɛwu ne bɔne mu, na mɛma woabu ne mogya ho akonta.

When I say unto the wicked: O wicked man, thou shalt surely die, and thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand.

9 Nanso sɛ wobɔ omumuyɛfoɔ no kɔkɔ sɛ ɔmfiri nʼakwan so na sɛ wanyɛ a, ne bɔne enti, ɔbɛwu, nanso worenni ne mogya ho fɔ.

Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he turn not from his way; he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul.

10 “Onipa ba, ka kyerɛ Israel efie sɛ: ‘Yei ne deɛ moreka: “Yɛn mfomsoɔ ne yɛn nnebɔne hyɛ yɛn so, yɛresɛe ɛsiane yeinom enti. Na ɛdeɛn na yɛbɛyɛ na yɛanya nkwa?”’

Therefore, O thou son of man, say unto the house of Israel: Thus ye speak, saying: Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we pine away in them; how then can we live?

11 Ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Sɛ mete ase yi, Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie, mʼani nnye amumuyɛfoɔ wuo ho, na mmom mepɛ sɛ wɔdane firi wɔn akwan so na wɔnya nkwa. Monnane! Monnane mfiri mo amumuyɛ akwan no so! Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ mowuwuo, Ao Israel efie?’

Say unto them: As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

12 “Ɛno enti onipa ba, ka kyerɛ wo ɔman mma sɛ, ‘Ɔteneneeni tenenee rentumi nye no nkwa wɔ ɛberɛ a ɔnnyɛ ɔsetie; na omumuyɛfoɔ amumuyɛ remma ɔnhwe ase wɔ ɛberɛ a ɔdane firi ho. Sɛ ɔteneneeni yɛ bɔne a, ɔrennya nkwa wɔ ne kane teneneeyɛ enti.’

And thou, son of man, say unto the children of thy people: The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not stumble thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall he that is righteous be able to live thereby in the day that he sinneth.

13 Sɛ meka kyerɛ ɔteneneeni sɛ ɔbɛnya nkwa, na afei ɔde ne ho to ne teneneeyɛ so na ɔyɛ bɔne a, wɔrenkae ne kane tenenee adeyɛ biara. Ɔbɛwu wɔ ne bɔne a wayɛ enti.

When I say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his righteousness, and commit iniquity, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, for it shall he die.

14 Na sɛ meka kyerɛ omumuyɛfoɔ sɛ, ‘Owuo na wobɛwuo,’ na afei ɔdane firi ne nnebɔne ho na ɔyɛ deɛ ɛyɛ na ɛtene,

Again, when I say unto the wicked: Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;

15 na sɛ ɔsane de bosea ho awowasideɛ ma, na ɔsane de deɛ wawia ma, na ɔdi ahyɛdeɛ a ɛma nkwa soɔ, na wanyɛ bɔne a, ampa ara ɔbɛnya nkwa, na ɔrenwu.

if the wicked restore the pledge, give back that which he had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

16 Wɔrenkae bɔne a wayɛ no mu biara ntia no. Wayɛ deɛ ɛyɛ na ɛtene, ampa ara ɔbɛnya nkwa.

None of his sins that he hath committed shall be remembered against him; he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

17 “Nanso wo ɔman mma ka sɛ, ‘Awurade akwan ntene.’ Nanso ɛyɛ wɔn akwan mmom na ɛnteneɛ.

Yet the children of thy people say: The way of the Lord is not equal; but as for them, their way is not equal.

18 Sɛ ɔteneneeni firi ne tenenee ho na ɔyɛ bɔne a, ɛno enti ɔbɛwu.

When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.

19 Na sɛ omumuyɛfoɔ dane firi ne nnebɔne ho na ɔyɛ deɛ ɛyɛ na ɛtene a, ɔbɛnya nkwa.

And when the wicked turneth from his wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.

20 Nanso, Ao Israel efie, moka sɛ, ‘Awurade akwan ntene.’ Nanso mɛbu obiara atɛn sɛdeɛ nʼakwan teɛ.”

Yet ye say: The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.'

21 Yɛn nnommumfa afe a ɛtɔ so dumienu no bosome a ɛtɔ so edu no nnannum so, ɔbarima bi a wadwane afiri Yerusalem baa me nkyɛn bɛkaa sɛ, “Kuropɔn no ahwease!”

And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying: 'The city is smitten.'

22 Na anwummerɛ a adeɛ rebɛkyeɛ ama ɔbarima no aba no, na Awurade nsa wɔ me so na ɔbuee mʼano ansa na ɔbarima no baa anɔpa. Enti na mʼano abue a metumi kasa.

Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me in the evening, before he that was escaped came; and He had opened my mouth against his coming to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.

23 Afei Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,

Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

24 “Onipa ba, nnipa a wɔtete saa mmubuiɛ so wɔ Israel asase no so no reka sɛ, ‘Abraham mpo a ɔyɛ onipa baako no, ɔnyaa asase no nyinaa. Enti yɛn a yɛdɔɔso yi nso, nokorɛm, wɔde asase no nyinaa ama yɛn sɛ yɛn agyapadeɛ.’

'Son of man, they that inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying: Abraham was one, and he inherited the land; but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.

25 Ɛno enti, ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Sɛ mowe ɛnam a mogya wɔ mu, na mosom mo anyame na mohwie mogya guo enti, ɛsɛ sɛ mofa asase no anaa?

Wherefore say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD. Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes unto your idols, and shed blood; and shall ye possess the land?

26 Mode mo ho to mo akofena so. Moyɛ akyiwadeɛ na mo mu biara gu ne yɔnko yere ho fi. Ɛsɛ sɛ monya asase no anaa?’

Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife; and shall ye possess the land?

27 “Ka yei kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ nie: Ampa ara sɛ mete ase yi, wɔn a wɔaka wɔ kuro no mmubuiɛ soɔ no bɛtotɔ wɔ akofena ano. Wɔn a wɔwɔ wiram no mede wɔn bɛma nkekaboa ama wɔawe wɔn na wɔn a wɔwɔ abandenden ne abodan mu no, ɔyaredɔm bɛkunkum wɔn.

Thus shalt thou say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: As I live, surely they that are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that are in the strongholds and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.

28 Mɛsɛe asase no ama ayɛ afo, na nʼahomasoɔ ahoɔden no bɛba awieeɛ na Israel mmepɔ no bɛda mpan a obiara rentwam hɔ.

And I will make the land most desolate, and the pride of her power shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, so that none shall pass through.

29 Afei wɔbɛhunu sɛ mene Awurade no, ɛberɛ a mama asase no ada mpan wɔ akyiwadeɛ a wɔayɛ nyinaa enti.’

Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land most desolate, because of all their abominations which they have committed.

30 “Wo deɛ, onipa ba, wo ɔman mma reka wo ho nsɛm wɔ afasuo ho ne afie apono ano kyerɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho sɛ, ‘Mommra mmɛtie asɛm a ɛfiri Awurade nkyɛn aba.’

And as for thee, son of man, the children of thy people that talk of thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying: Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD;

31 Me nkurɔfoɔ ba wo nkyɛn, sɛdeɛ wɔyɛ daa no, bɛtenatena wʼanim bɛtie wo nsɛm, nanso wɔmmfa nyɛ adwuma. Wɔde wɔn ano ka ahofama, nanso wɔn akoma mu deɛ wɔn ani bere asisie mu adenya.

and come unto thee as the people cometh, and sit before thee as My people, and hear thy words, but do them not — for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness;

32 Nokorɛm, wɔn deɛ, wote sɛ obi a ne nne yɛ dɛ, na ɔde nnwontodeɛ to ɔdɔ nnwom, ɛfiri sɛ wɔte wo nsɛm nanso wɔmmfa nyɛ adwuma.

and, lo, thou art unto them as a love song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; so they hear thy words, but they do them not —

33 “Sɛ yeinom nyinaa ba mu a, na nokorɛm ɛbɛba mu nso, na afei wɔbɛhunu sɛ odiyifoɔ bi baa wɔn mu.”

when this cometh to pass — behold, it cometh — then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.'